The niçoise is the salad we put on the menu for the people who order salad seriously. It's a French classic — composed, not tossed — built around tuna and a few perfectly cooked components.
The tuna is seared rare. Big slab, sesame-crusted, in and out of a hot pan in under a minute total. Sliced thick so each piece has a deep pink centre. We use albacore or yellowfin, whichever is fresher that week.
Haricots verts (thin French green beans) get blanched until just-tender then shocked in ice water to keep their colour. Baby potatoes are boiled, dressed warm in olive oil and a little vinegar so they soak up flavour. Soft-boiled eggs — exactly seven minutes, halved. Niçoise olives, cherry tomatoes, anchovy fillets for the people who want them.
Dressing is dijon-shallot — strong, sharp, lots of mustard.
$19. Order it with a glass of rosé and call it a real lunch.
